The present invention relates, in general, to a connector for coaxial cables, and more particularly to a connector for coaxial cables of a type having annularly corrugated outer cable conductor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,451, issued on Sep. 6, 1977, describes a connector assembly for a coaxial cable of a type having an annularly corrugated outer cable conductor, with a connector head which is formed with a beveled clamping surface to engage the inner surface of the end portion of the outer cable conductor. Cooperating with the clamping surface of the connector head is a further clamping surface formed on one end of a contact sleeve for engaging the outer surface of the end portion of the outer cable conductor. The contact sleeve is formed at the same time as a hollow screw and has a plurality of slits extending from the connector head proximal end to form a plurality of resilient segments. Each of the segments terminates in a bead for meshing in the first valley of the outer cable conductor and clamping the outer cable conductor against the clamping surface of the connector head along the end portion extending over the contact sleeve, when the connector assembly is mounted to the coaxial cable.
The necessity to dismantle the connector before attachment to the coaxial cable is disadvantageous for several reasons. For one, components may fall out, get lost or mixed up. Moreover, manipulation of several components is time-consuming and annoying, in particular when carrying out the assembly at exposed sites. There is also a risk that errors occur during assembly. A further drawback is the inevitable friction encountered between the beads at the free ends of the segments of the contact sleeve and the outer cable conductor along the outer surface to be contacted and clamped during threaded engagement of the contact sleeve in the connector head. As the outer cable conductor is normally made of a relatively soft copper alloy, the friction frequently results in a squeezing of material in the circumferential direction, leading to respective bending of the segments of the contact sleeve, or as a result of an increase of the torque to be applied for tightening the components in a false indication that a secure clamping and contacting has been attained when in fact that is not the case.